Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Student Support Service: Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Partnership Grants, Assistance Listing Number 84.334A

Background
The GEAR UP program is a discretionary grant program that encourages eligible entities to provide support, and maintain a commitment, to eligible students from low-income backgrounds, including students with disabilities, to assist the students in obtaining a secondary school diploma (or its recognized equivalent) and to prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education. Under the GEAR UP program, the Department awards grants to two types of entities: (1) States and (2) Partnerships consisting of at least one degree-granting institution of higher education (IHE) and at least one local educational agency (LEA).

Grant Details
Required services under the GEAR UP program are specified in section 404D(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1070a–24(a)), and permissible services under the GEAR UP program are specified in section 404D(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1070a–24(b)). For Partnership grantees, activities must include providing financial aid information for postsecondary education, encouraging enrollment in rigorous and challenging coursework in order to reduce the need for remediation at the postsecondary education level, and implementing activities to improve the number of participating students who obtain a secondary school diploma and who complete applications for and enroll in a program of postsecondary education.

Eligibility Requirements
Partnerships consisting of at least one degree-granting institution of higher education (IHE) and at least one local educational agency (LEA). Partnerships may include not less than two other community organizations or entities, such as businesses, professional organizations, State agencies, institutions or agencies sponsoring programs authorized under the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Program authorized in part A, subpart 4, of title IV of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1070c et seq.), or other public or private agencies or organizations.

Period of Performance
Project Period: Either 72 months or 84 months. An applicant that wishes to seek funding for a seventh project year must propose to do so in its application.

Grant Value
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested $408,000,000 for GEAR UP for FY 2024, of which we intend to use an estimated $40,000,000 for the Partnership competition. The actual level of funding depends on final congressional action. Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000–$5,000,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,200,000. Maximum Award: We will not fund any application for a Partnership grant above the maximum award of $800 per student for a single budget period of 12 months.